Monday, October 3, 2011

Many cities require that homeowners obtain a building permit before making modifications to their residence. Which modifications require a permit vary by city. Also, some cities are more vigilant than others in enforcing permit laws.

In order for the homeowner to receive a permit, the homeowner or his/her designee must submit plans for approval and pay fees to the city. In addition, the improvements are given a value. If they increase the value of the property, this may result in an increase in property taxes. Inspections are often required to approve the work. This process can be time consuming and inconvenient in the short run. Therefore, some homeowners don't get permits because in the short run it costs them more money and time then they want to spend on the project.

By the way,if you are bidding out work on your home and notice a difference in the contractors' estimates,look through the proposals and/or ask the contractors if they are doing the job with a permit. It could be the difference in labor cost, material cost, cost of getting a permit and so on. But make sure you know whether or not the contractor you are working with included a permit in the job proposal. If he/she didn't and says the job doesn't need one,do some research on your own and make sure the job really doesn't need a permit to save you in the long run.

If the city discovers that you did work on your home that needed a permit and you failed to get one,getting a permit retroactively can frequently cost you a lot more money,hassle and trouble than having gotten a permit before the work was done. If work is not done in accordance with city procedures or if the inspector is unable to determine if the work has been done properly, the homeowner could be required to open walls, tear up floors, so that the inspection may take place. In addition, by law, work not permitted where a permit was required must be disclosed to any prospective purchaser. This may cause the owner to lower their sale price or perform costly or time-consuming repairs before title can be transferred.

If you are in the market for a home,ask sellers for copies of permits for work that they had done up front. Alternativley, you may obtain these permits by going directly to Building & Safety in the municipality in which the property is located or by hiring a "permit puller" who will research the permits for you.

Please let me know if I can be of service to you and yours in Metro DC. I always have time and greatly appreciate your kind referrals.